Who would have thought you cared?
by ilexx
Summary: People's minds during and after Abridging the Devil's... Please R&R. Okay, so here is the last chapter of this one. Beka and Dylan finally get their talk.
1. Chapter 1

Who would have thought you cared?

Prologue

„_Why, Captain Valentine, who would have thought you cared?_"

It stopped her dead in her tracks. She stared after him in disbelief as he speeded up his determined stride to Hangardeck 2. They had been arguing all the way down from Command Deck, starting right after he had told Rommie to wait for him onboard the _Eureka Maru_ and prep the old freighter ship for launch. Immediately after he had issued his orders, she had begun to try and convince him that she was the far better suited person to go down to the planet this time around. Alas, nothing had seemed to get through to him. With smiling stubbornness – a trait of Dylan Hunt almost as legendary as the man himself – he had dismissed each and every one of her arguments: no, there weren't too many templars to take down, after all he will have Rommie with him, and yes, she was the far better pilot, but then again, he wasn't too bad himself, and although she was fresh and fit, well so was he, right?

„Wrong!" Seeing that all their arguing got her nowhere, she finally decided to give him the plain, bare truth. „You've been badly roughed up, beaten, malnourished and dehydrated **and** you had to go without rest for quite some time because of that stupid sleep deprivation device, before being finally subjected to the high radiation level in the ‚scrubber'. You were barely alive when we found you, and the simple truth is that you are still a long way from full recovery, tough guy. Radiation aftereffects are tricky, says Trance." Beka Valentine paused for breath, but quickly went on as she saw him open his mouth in a new round of protest. „I'm with you all the way that it is paramount to prevent the Patriarch's planes from happening. And I most certainly am as eager as everybody else to get Rhade and Harper out of there asap..."

„I know, Beka, I know. They are part of your crew, and you never leave anyone behind," he cited in a monotone, annoyed voice indicating that he had heard this sermon once too often and lacked the time to listen to it yet again.

„No, Dylan, you obviously don't know! They **are** part of my crew, but then again, so are **you**. And just because you, _Sir_," she stressed with a smirk of disdain, „are too stubborn to admit that there are other, better ways to achieve our goals, doesn't mean I should be willing to risk you – again, if I may say so – **and** the others, whom your carelessness puts in danger. You're not fit for duty."

„Says who?"

„Says Trance."

„What does she know?"

„Well, she is our medical officer. When it comes to anything living, I'll take her word above yours."

„She's overprotective."

„And _Andromeda_?"

„Oh, come on, Beka. Talking about overprotectiveness... _Andromeda_ starts worrying if anyone of us skips breakfast."

„Dylan, stop making excuses. You might not be up to the task, and then what? You're not indestructible, you know."

„_Why, Captain Valentine, who would have thought you cared?_"


	2. Chapter 2

Who would have thought you cared

Chapter 1

His words still echoed in her mind, while she quickened her pace to catch up with him again. She was struggling for a smart answer, as she fell into step next to the other captain. Surely, he hadn't meant that. There was no way he could have come to the conclusion that she was indifferent to his well-being.

„Goddammit, Dylan, this is my ship you plan to use on this mission, and I think it's only fair to let me decide, whether I want to give it to you or not," she breathlessly spitted out her supreme argument against his back.

„Oh, that," he exclaimed rather vaguely.

„Yes, that!" He abruptly turned around to face her, as they arrived at the closed doors of the hangardeck. Reaching out to her and taking hold of her shoulders, he ruefully smiled down on her, as his grip became more firm.

„Beka, I know. You entrusted me with the _Maru_ and I brought her back in bad shape. But it wasn't exactly my fault, you know that. And although she hasn't returned to her usual splendour..."

„Careful, cowboy..." she warned in a growling voice.

„Well, she has been restored to almost full capacity. And I'll bring Harper back to do his miracles on her. Now, I could take a slipfighter, but the _Maru_ would be so much better. Please!"

She closed her eyes and sighed. _Great, this was going just great_. Not alone did he think that she didn't give a damn about him, now he obviously presumed all her concerns to be focussed on the Maru, assuming this to be the real reason for her opposition. Inwardly cursing, she reopened her eyes and looked up into his still smiling face. His eyes held this pleading and innocent expression of a small boy trying to talk his parents out of grounding him for two weeks. Yet she could not mistake the resolution she saw there, too. Dylan Hunt had made up his mind, and there wasn't much one could do from now on to change it, short of shooting him, of course. Rebekkah Valentine graciously counted this option out. She made a last attempt to persuade him, though.

„Dylan, let me go."

„I know the place, I know the people, I know my way around... Believe me, Beka, I'm best suited for this."

She shook her head, exasperated.

„You know, Dylan, the Universe's graveyards are full of people who thought themselves to be irreplaceable."

„Ah, but you see, that's the beauty of it. If something happens... I mean, it won't, but should something happen, then I don't have to worry about being irreplaceable. I have one hell of an XO standing in line, ready to take over."

How did he do that? How did this big, strong High Guard manage to turn himself into a five-year-old pleading for some chocolate bar, whenever it suited his purposes? Unlike Rafe, Bobby, Tyr, Rhade, Sidand all the other tall, dark and dangerous typical males who populated Beka Valentine's life, all of whom tried to make their point mostly by force, Dylan always went for the schoolboy-charm routine. Did he pick it up from Harper? If so, he had perfected it to a really outstanding performance. One that never failed. While one more or less expected it from the skinny little engineer, it often came as a complete, very effective surprise, when it sparkled up in the imposing High Guard captain. If he had come up with this by himself and on purpose, then he was even more resourceful than she had suspected, Beka thought.

The _Maru_'s captain felt that the debate was over.

„Take care," she whispered.

„I will. And you take care of the _Andromeda_. And stop worrying about Rhade, Harper and the _Maru_."

With that the captain of the _Andromeda Ascendant_ gave her upperarms a last, soft squeeze and left her at the doorway, while he boarded the _Maru_ without looking back. Watching his tall frame disappear, she couldn't help thinking that he hadn't included himslef in her „not to worry about"-list. Was it because he really wanted her to worry about him? Or just because he quietly assumed that she wouldn't do it anyway? And then his words echoed in her mind, again:

„_Why, Captain Valentine, who would have thought you cared?_"


	3. Chapter 3

Who would have thought you cared

Chapter 2

Rebekkah Valentine, Captain of the - meanwhile - Commonwealth Ship of the Line _Eureka Maru_ and First Officer to Captain Dylan Hunt of the High Guard Glorious Heritage Class Heavy Cruiser and former Commonwealth Flag Ship „_Shining Path to Truth an Knowledge_", the _Andromeda Ascendant_, nowadays on the run from said Commonwealth officialities, was nervous. It didn't come often that she felt the need to discuss her feelings and sentiments, especially not with the only higher ranking officer onboard. Yet here she was, pacing up and down the corridor in front of the Captain's office, waiting for Harper to come out.

They had made it back. And they had managed to destroy the Time Bridge. Other than that, there wasn't much to be grateful for. A lot of people were dead, Telemachus Rhade still somewhat shaken by the ordeals he had been subjected to, the damage done to an entire solar system considerable. And then there was this little matter of a worldship full of Magog still headed their way as well as an army of Commonwealth bounty hunters still out for their blood.

Beka had read Dylan's report on the Patriarch and still shuddered at the dreadful possibilities the files implied. Had it not been for Rommie, Rhade and Dylan... she preferred not to think along these lines for too long.

Beka Valentine wasn't sure that this was the appropriate time to come to talk to Dylan about the relationship he obviously believed the members of the Eureka Maru's old crew to be entertaining with him, but then again, there never really was such a time. The blonde pilot had been pretty shaken by Hunt's ironic remark, so much so that she felt compelled to find out exactly how rhetorical his words had been. And if this meant to be striding into – yet another – fight with him, so be it; it helped to know that, with Dylan still not completely recovered according to Andromeda's opinion, Beka did for once have a clear advantage on her side. Not that she gave a damn about Dylan's opinions on that matter, but she had found his remark downright insulting. Questioning her concern for him meant that, in the end, he was questioning her loyalty. So this is how things were? After all they had done for him and with him, after all **she** had done, he still didn't find the strength in him to come up with complete trust towards them. Beka wondered if she shouldn't better wait, talk this through with Trance, tell the others about Dylan's suspected state of mind, for them to confront him together. But as his words had been spoken to her, with no hints to Trance and before he even knew about Harper's bold "stride for science", she felt the urge to first take it out with him on her own.

Sadly, although Harper had at the beginning of their last adventure been very helpful, he had let his scientific curiosity and inventor's pride gain the better of him in the course of events. He had built the Patriarch's Time Bridge as required and activated it, thereby endangering not only his fellow crew members but also the entire population of the planet, along with just about all of the known galaxies. He was now with Dylan, probably getting a full –and well deserved – lecture about his reliability in general and his good sense in this particular case. However, with Dylan being Dylan, Beka had no doubt that Harper would find himslef let off the hook rather easily in the end. Well, she couldn't have been more wrong.

It took her by surprise, when the doors slid open and out came a Harper very much in a rush.

„Harper," she started, wanting to inquire about what exactly was upsetting him that much. „Harper, stop," she yelled then, when the young man didn't react. Forgetting all about her intended talk with Dylan, she stormed down the corridor right after him. With Harper still exhausted by his stay with the templars, catching up with him was a piece of cake.

„Hey, resident genius, I'm talking to you," Beka finally stated as she grabbed his sleeve, finally bringing him to a halt.

„Some genius, my eye," the young man stammered, avoiding to look at her.

„Oh, come on, Harper, don't dramatize. You blew it, you blew it big time! Dylan had to ruffle you up a bit!"

„I know, I know, and... it's not that... I mean... I..." the engineer was fighting for words, and it was only then that Beka noticed him to be practically on the verge of tears. Intrigued, she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to turn around and face her.

„Harper, it can't be **that** bad. You know Dylan: a little yelling, a little shouting, some threatening with the brig, that's it," she tried to reassure him. „Come on, what did he say?"

„No, Beka, no! He... he is mad... No yelling, no brig, no... Oh, he is soo mad... at me, I mean..."

„Well, that was to be expected. After all there have been a lot of lives unnecessarily lost during this stupid pursuit of yours."

„I know, I know... and I'm sorry, I am so very sorry! But..."

„But?"

„He said strike 2, Beka! He said this was strike 2," Harper almost shouted in despair.

„Strike 2?" she repeated after him, clearly not understanding what Harper was referring to.

"He said, strike 2 and he'll give me the boot. At strike 3 I'm outta here, Beka," the engineer fearfully whispered.

As she finally grasped the meaning of the words, Beka Valentine's blue eyes turned to ice. She fiercefully pulled Harper into a bearhug, her right hand gently stroking his hair. Her heart felt like breaking as she felt the young man's rigid form almost melting into her arms.

„Don't worry, Harper, don't you worry," she began to reassure him, her words endlessly repeating themselves in a soft whisper, while she still held him in her embrace, oblivious to the curious glances they received from other members of the crew who happened to pass them by. Luckily, it was neither a very frequented area nor a very busy time of day.

„Harper, listen to me," Beka finally demanded. „No one will kick you out. Not on their lives, they won't. And whoever tries to pull off a stunt like this, will first have to go through me, mighty High Guard captain or not. Do you understand me?"

Harper nodded, extricating himself out of her arms and struggling to pull himself together. Beka watched him with a smile, as he wiped away the tears and cleaned his nose with a forceful sneer.

„There you are," she said, imposing a cheerful tone to herslef. „That's my boy. Now off you go," she encouraged him with a light pat on the shoulder. He nodded his thanks to her with a sad little grin and took off down the hall towards his lab.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for reviewing, everyone. I really appreciate it.

Chapter 3

Beka looked after him until he disappeared behind the next corner. Immediately after that she turned around on her heels and almost started to run back to Dylan's office. She arrived in an instant, rushing past the open doors and a startled Rommie, who was just on her way out. Marching through without so much as a nod towards Rommie, Beka practically threw herself into the chair in front of Dylan's desk.

„Beka!" he exclaimed with some surprise, nodding his dismissal towards Rommie, who had stopped for a moment, glancing inquisitively towards him. „Please, do come in and take a seat," he offered with slight sarcasm.

„Cut the crap, Dylan."

„Pardon me?"

„Cut – the – crap. Now, which word didn't you understand? What the hell did you do to Harper?"

„What did I do to Harper? You insane, or what? What did **I** do to **Harper**? Down there on that planet..."

„I know what happened down there on that planet, Dylan," she interrupted him impatiently. „You write reports, I read them. I **can** read, remember? This isn't about the planet then, it's about Harper right now," she carried on without giving him so much as a chance to respond. "And for all the stupid, reckless behaviour you've been displaying over the last two years or so, I never would have thought you mindless enough to scare a boy out of his wits! How dare you?" she shouted, her eyes blazing with cold rage. „Harper, Trance, me, we all have earned our right to be here as much as you have. It took me a long, long time to make Harper feel a little more comfortable with himself and others after taking him along. Eventually he came to trust me, and Rev, and Trance, but he never ever felt truly safe before coming to live on board the _Andromeda_. It is this ship, her potential, her skills, her abilities that make feel at ease, the more so as he is mainly responsible for her still being the most powerful vessel in three galaxies in the first place. And you... You - of all people - he trusts with his life. Somewhere along the way he decided for you to be his hero, his saviour, his guiding figure, whatever... Yeah, I know! Stupid choice, poor judgement of character, but hey, we are talking Harper here, aren't we? Why should his naive idolatrization remain limited to chicks?"

"Beka..."

"Oh, hold your breath, Dylan. Exactly what kind of knight in shining armour are you to start threatening the ones who trust you and depend on you?"

"Beka, I really am not in the mood..."

"Not in the mood? Poor fellow. Well, what do you know? He's not in the mood! Too bad."

"Beka, please, let's not discuss Harper right now."

"Oh, Dylan, please, let's discuss Harper right now! Because, you see, this..." she gestured towards herself, "this is **me** being in the mood."

"Yeah, well, this is me being captain and ordering you to stop."

"In that case, buster, this is me being first officer, politely informing the captain that, before he can captain this vessel, he will have to learn captaining his moods. So, _Captain_, how dare you threaten to throw him out?"

Dylan was increduously staring at her, mouth agape. He now tiredly rubbed his face with both hands, stood up carefully, as if afraid he might loose control and break the thing next to him otherwise, and leaned over his desk, looking intensely right into her eyes.

„I **never** threatened to throw him out. You're right, the Andromeda is as much your home as it is mine. But she happens to be a battleship, as well. And while my friend Seamus Harper will always have a place with us, Mr Harper, chief engineer and senior officer of my crew, must watch his step in order to maintain his position, as must every single one of us. I thought you knew..." Dylan finished rather uncertain. Beka stood up as well.

„This stupid ‚1,2,3-strike'-talk, Dylan..." she helplessly stated, as she started to pace around the room. „You really scared the boy."

„Oh, Beka, don't you see? This is part of the problem. He's not a boy, not anymore," Dylan exclaimed sounding almost as out of patience as her. He heavily sat back down in his chair.

„What do you mean?"

„He was nineteen when you met him, and the two of you have spent four rather eventful years before rescueing us, haven't you? Anyway, since then he's definitely been through more experiences than most people come to have in a lifetime. He's almost 27, and I'm afraid he's as grown up as he's ever gonna get. You and I are his captains and his friends, not Mom and Dad, and it's our responsibility to see to it that he realizes it," he breathlessly recited, his voice starting to rise. „As captain of this ship I am quite prepared and capable of taking the blame for every wrong decision one of my crew makes. And as Harper's friend I am even willing to do so. However..." his voice trailed off.

Beka looked at him in astonishment. Dylan suddently seemed at a loss for the right words, not an usual with him.

„Dylan, I..."

„No," he fell in on her, „Please let me finish." He took a deep breath and continued. „I know exactly what he means to you. Because fact is, well – over the years he's come to mean more or less the same to me. I grew up one of four siblings, two of them considerably younger than I was. And when Harper came along, he fitted right into the place they had left vacant," he told her in a voice so low that she had to concentrate upon to hear him. „I know first hand that big brothers are meant to look out for the younger ones and even stand up for them, when they screw up. But I **am** not his big brother, I can't always look out for him. And I also know that – being so much older – I might..." and here he stopped, quickly correcting himself, „no, I **will** someday not be around to do so. Maybe even you won't be either. And then he will have to be able to stand on his very own two feet, all by himself. I know, he learned early in life to look after himself. But this goes beyond that. This is about taking responsibility for everything around him, as well. And I very much intend to see to it that he does, with or without your help," he finished with a melancholic little smile, but in a quite determined voice.

Beka drew in a sharp breath. Her eyes were carefully weighing the somewhat sagged form of the man seated at the desk. It was one of those moments, when the lines on Dylan's face betrayed every single day of his 340 and some years. He looked utterly spent, yet his eyes remained locked to her own, firmly refusing to give in.

„Then tell him, Dylan, tell him what you just told me, not the bullshit you poured onto him earlier on. This ‚High Guard Captain Terrific'-attitude you've developped lately **on top** of your ‚Daredevil-flyboy couldn't care less'-routine you've been operating on for almost two years now isn't exactly reassuring. Just tell him," she pleaded.

His eyes went wide. Whether with surprise, hurt or anger she couldn't quite figure out. But as he leaned over his desk, his one hand reaching for the comm, she could plainly see that she had finally managed to strike a nerve with him.

„Very well, Beka, I'll do this your way." His tired voice became alert again. „Mr Harper, this is the captain speaking. Please report to my office right away."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

They uneasily waited for Harper to arrive, Dylan shut up in an exhausted silence, while Beka's face just reflected quite some confusion about the things she'd heard. Both breathed out in relief when the doors finally opened. Dylan however couldn't help suppressing a troubled little groan, when presented with the hard evidence of the truth Beka had told him about Harper's emotional state.

A hesitant and very nervous young man suspiciously watched him from the corridor outside the office, the look in the engineer's eyes more insecure and shy than Dylan could recall to ever have noticed. And there had been plenty of times, when Harper had appeared both shy and insecure to him.

„Mr Harper, please do come in," Dylan offered, standing up and invitingly waving the young man over to one of the seats in front of his desk.

The unexpected friendliness in the captain's both tone and manner seemed to do nothing to put Harper's fears to rest. He slowly marched into the room, throwing glances all over the place, as if expecting crowds of Magog to come closing in on him. But he seemed to relax a little after recognizing Beka in the slender figure leaning against the wall left to the doors. He carefully sat himself down on the edge of the chair Dylan had been indicating and eyed the captain with an inquisitive look.

„Mr Harper, as Captain Valentine explained to me, some misunderstanding seems to have occured between us during the talk we had prior to this one," Dylan awkwardly began. _Great_, he thought, _now I start sounding like Tyr_. Harper's reaction to this opening proved his impression to be accurate: the engineer's eyes widened and he threw Beka a quizzical look. To which the pilot responded only by a roll of her eyes and an annoyed shrug. _Oh boy_, she thought exasperated, _**what** **is** **wrong** with this guy? I thought, I told him to just speak to Seamus in a normal, human, friendly, understandable way. For someone who thinks he can save the universe singlehandedly, surely this shouldn't be too difficult a task._

„Now, boss, look..." the young man hurriedly began to answer, but found himself brusquely interrupted by Dylan.

„No, Harper, don't. You seem to have gotten the impression... that someday, displeased by your action, I might feel compelled to dump you in some godforsaken place of the universe." _And on we go_, thought Beka with a frown. A quick glance at her showed Dylan a highly displeased XO, staring angrily at him with confused, icy eyes.He went on hurriedly. "Well, you are wrong. No matter, what you might or might not do in the future, the _Andromeda_ is your home, and she will remain so until you say otherwise. You can stay, you can go, you can come back, then leave again, you may do exactly as you want. As your friend, I will oblige to it, whatever your decision might be." He sighed deeply, with Harper sighing along with him, as Beka – in spite of the tensed atmosphere in the room – observed with some amusement.

„Why, thank you, Dylan..." Harper tried again, with Dylan once more interrupting him after his first stammered words.

„However, Mr Harper, you are not only my friend, but also the _Andromeda Ascendant_'s chief engineer, and it was this status of yours I was referring to earlier on. We're all just human, and so we all are bound to make mistakes. This is one of the mightiest ships ever built, and the mistakes made by this ship's staff in general – and her senior officers in particular tend to have serious repercussions. Like people getting hurt, getting killed. Lots and lots of people, Mr Harper. One error of judgement can be sufficient to put not only ours but thousands of lives in jeopardy, probably more."

„Dylan, I know..."

„No, Harper, you don't know. **I** do." Dylan Hunt's voice suddently went flat, his eyes bleak. „The greatest civilization ever built once fell because the captain of the _Andromeda Ascendant_ allowed himself just one mistake. It proved to be one mistake too many. At Hephaistos, it was my decision to not deploy the novas against the Nietzschean fleet, and the outcome of the matter proved me wrong. I will have to live with it for the rest of my days. It might seem like a small enough price to pay for the guy who made three galaxies live – and die – by his... errors, but I can assure you that sometimes it turns out to be a rather heavy cross to bear. Heavy enough in fact, to not wish on the shoulders of my worst enemy, let alone on those of a friend." Dylan Hunt wearily stood up and walked around his desk. Looking down on Harper, he lightly patted the young man on the back. „I firmly intend to do everything in my power to see to it that neither one of you," his eyes turned to Beka, who had not moved, hardly breathed throughout his speech, „will ever have to face living with a similar burden. So please, Harper, do your best to not make this endeavour of mine any more difficult than it already is," he concluded. A small smile lurked in a corner of his mouth, as Dylan came to realise that, in spite of his efforts, he had ended his say the same way he had started it: sounding like Tyr Anasazi. His hand gave Harper's shoulder a last squeeze, before he straightened himself up again.

„A good day to you, Mr Harper. Beka, I'll be in my quarters, if needed. You have command." With that, Dylan Hunt walked out of the captain's office and took a right turn heading for his private quarters.

Tbc


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

The two officers stood in silence, an aghast look on both their faces.

„Sheesh, boss, what the hell did you do to the poor guy?"

Harper's excalmation pulled Beka out of the stunned reverie the scene she had just come to witness had left her in.

„Oh, shut up, Seamus, I didn't do anything to him. Just told him what was on my mind."

„Oh yeah? And what exactly was on your mind? Slaughter?"

„Harper! I – didn't – do – anything," the _Maru_'s captain repeated in an annoyed and rather helpless tone. „Hell, I have no clue where this... this... whatever-it-was came from." Judging by the puzzled look on her face, Beka Valentine clearly spoke the truth. Resolution set into her traits as she went on. „I do however intend to find out this very instant. Harper, you have command."

The same moment she had finished, _Andromeda_'s holographic image popped up in front of the two them.

„Captain Valentine, do you really think it appropriate to leave the crew member who just got lectured twice within an hour in charge?" The even tone of the AI suggested nothing more than a polite inquiry.

„Relax, Romdoll, our last meeting wasn't exactly a lecture, according to my book," Harper quickly fell in.

„Well, it sounded like one according to mine," the _Andromeda_'s avatar replied from the door.

„Oh, Rommie, you're here! I didn't notice."

„Never mind, Harper. Like I said..."

„Listen, both of you," Beka interrupted what began to look like another one of those interminable banters between Harper and his proudest creation, „say whatever you like. I need to go see Dylan, check if he's all right."

A thoughtful expression appeared on Andromeda's beautiful holographic face.

„You don't have to go to him for that, Beka, I'm monitoring him. He is, well, sort of all right. Although his heart rate is a little elevated, his temperature a bit high, his leukocythes are increasing and his breathing..."

„You know," her avatar cut in, „I don't think they were referring to his physical condition."

„Nonetheless, you know that physiological data... OH!" the hologram suddently exclaimed.

„What?" the others asked in unisono.

„He went into the shower and engaged privacy mode. Sorry, but – that's all, folks!" she exclaimed with a mocking smirk.

„Well, never mind," Harper threw in, „but from what you already said, he didn't sound all that all right to me, though!"

„Forgot the scrubber, Harper?" Rommie asked, almost instantly regretting her words upon seeing the young man's guilty looks.

„Oh, shut up, the two of you..." Beka barked, and added, when confronted with a reproachful frown from the hologram, „I mean, the three of you... that is... oh, whatever!" With that the former salvage captain threw her arms up in an exasperated gesture and left in a rush.

Seamus Harper looked at the _Andromeda_'s avatar, his face wearing an astonished expression.

„So, Romdoll," he finally stated, „you think she's loosing it?"

„Watch it, Harper!"

„Oh-kay. Do you think he's loosing it?"

„Harper!"

„I'm serious, Rommie!"

„Well, so am I. I have no intention whatsoever to discuss my commanding officers mental or emotional stability with a member of their staff. And a reprimanded member, at that," she added with yet another scournful smirk.

„I wasn't referring to the captain, Romdoll. I was talking about Dylan."

The avatar closed her eyes in a very accurate expression of a woman rapidly approaching her patience's limits.

„**I** am a warship, Harper. **He** is my commander. And **you** are my chief engineer. When **I** talk about **him** with **you**, I always talk about the captain. You want to talk about Dylan, go to Trance." She waited for him to answer, but he seemed lost in thought. „However," she carried on after getting no reply for some time, „with **her** being a member of the senior staff as well, the two of you will probably also end up discussing the captain, no matter what your initial intentions might be." And with that, Rommie left Harper to his brooding.

„Well," the young man finally said in a pensive tone, „this could be part of the problem."

„I beg your pardon?" _Andromeda_'s hologram inquired politely. Harper looked at her as if seeing her for the first time in a long, long period.

„Don't you see? When I look at him I always see ‚the guy with a plan that works'; Rhade sees his ‚lord and master'; Trance... Actually I don't know, what she takes him for. But for quite some time now Trance has decided that Dylan is the ‚Saviour of the Universe'; so whatever load is left around for someone to carry, Trance just makes sure that Dylan's there to pick it up. And Beka thinks him to be the fellow she has to keep in line, a task she is in charge of, while he is in charge of everything else. You know, even in the old days... Even independent, arrogant, insubordinate Tyr believed Dylan to be there mainly as the universe's ultimate challenge for the last of the Kodiak. It's not just you, Rommie. It's all of us. Whenever anybody thinks or talks or gossips about him, we all relate to him as 'the captain'. Since Rev left nobody seems to have been giving a thought about... Dylan."

Tbc


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

„Dylan, open up!" After having knocked on that damned door for the better part of the past fifteen minutes, Beka Valentine was finally losing her patience. Remembering Rommie telling them that he had went for a shower, she had decided to let half an hour pass before showing up in front of his quarters. She then had politely knocked several times, but no one had responded. So now she was recurring to yelling. Nobody spent forty-five minutes in the shower.

„Beka!" Andromeda's hologram flickered next to her into being.

„Ah, Andromeda, good. Dylan doesn't answer," Beka started complaining, „so please, open the door."

„I can't do that, Beka, he's engaged privacy mode."

„Yeah, well, never mind that, I really, really do have to see him."

„Why?"

Beka stared at the hologram, mouth agape. Why indeed? As a matter of fact, she couldn't truly explain why she felt such urgency to talk to Dylan Hunt. She only knew that she simply had to see him on the spot. The conversation she had planned to have with him before she had met with Harper, had seemed pretty important then. Now, it just seemed vital. A stern determination turned Beka's blue eyes into shining pieces of polished steel.

„I'm not discussing this with you, Rommie. Open the door!"

„Beka, listen..."

„Privacy mode disengaged, dammit! Authorization First Officer and Acting Captain Rebekkah Valentine."

„You've turned command over to Harper for the time being."

„Andromeda!"

„Very well... _Ma'am_." The AI's voice showed no hint of emotion. But there was a small, insolent sound in the way she had stressed her ‚Ma'am'.

The doors slid open with a hiss. Beka peered around her into the room as she stepped closer. Dylan's living was empty, as tidy as always and with only a dim light left on from a lamp placed on a sideboard. _Dylan should think about getting himself a life, a hobby, a pet, something_, Beka thought noticing the unlived-in order of the place. The pilot silently crossed the large space to the bedroom door, that was left open, revealing a room that seemed to be completely in the dark. There was but a slim line of brightness, that penetrated from a crack of the opening leading to the bathroom. Other than that, there was no light, no sound, no move. Her eyes adjusting to the darkness, Beka began to search the space for any trace of Dylan, and, although she had come in expecting to find him, she almost gave a startled shriek when she finally discovered him seated on the floor in the left corner of his bedroom, dressed in some shorts and and a sweater. He was as still as a statue. His feet were bare, his knees brought up to his chest, his hands hanging lifelessly between them, while his eyes were locked in distance somewhere across his bed in a blind glare. He was obviously oblivious to the fact that there now was another presence in the room.

Beka took a few steps into the room, carefully approaching him, as her hand reached out for his shoulder.

„Dylan...?"

He almost jumped to attention and would have knocked her over, had it not been for her quick pilot's reflexes. She stood back just in time.

„Wow, Dylan, hold it... I'm sorry! I didn't want to startle you..." she said a little short of breath.

„Beka!" he exclaimed, keeping his voice low though, as his eyes focussed in on her. He leaned a hand against the wall, a little bit off balance. „What are you doing here?"

„Scaring you, obviously," she laughed to ease the tension. „May I switch on the lights?"

„Sure, yeah, go ahead!"

„Andromeda, please light up the place." The sudden brightness made both of them close their eyes. „Moderately please," Beka quickly added upon hearing Dylan groan as if in pain. The lights were dimmed until only the bedlights and a tall, elegant lamp next to a black leather chaiselongue were still shining, bathing the room in a warm shade of amber. She threw a quick glance around her, realising that it was the first time in four years that she had entered the captain's bedroom. _As women in this universe go, I must be one of the very few_, an ironic thought crossed her mind. It was sparely, yet luxuriously furnished, with a comfortable looking large bed and, on the opposite wall, shelves reaching up from floor to ceiling, displaying an amazing amount of personal items such as photos, art objects etc. as well as a very, very large number of books. The contrast to the other room could not have been greater.

„You read books?"

„Well, yes, I guess..."

„You guess?"

„Okay, I read," he addmitted with an embarrassed shrug as if caught in the act of some strange behaviour.

Beka was still contemplating the space in front of her.

„Nice. Very, very nice!"

The walls were decorated with abstract and not so abstract paintings, and there was a superb carpet laid out on the floor.

„Tarn Vedra?" she asked, getting down on one knee and letting one of her hands run along the soft weaving.

„No," he said flatly. His eyes were avoiding her questioning look, but he finally gave in and answered her. „It's a Kars-Kazak."

"Nietzschean?"

He shook his head. "Terran."

„Terran? As in Earth?"

„Quite."

„Wow! You know, from what I know from Harper about it, I would never have related the place with arts and crafts."

„It wasn't always like that," Dylan stated, his voice still toneless.

„So it seems," Beka nodded and stood up again. An uneasy silence began to settle in between the two of them, a silence Dylan clearly couldn't stand at the moment.

„The Earth I knew," he started to explain, the words leaving his mouth as if being dragged out by force, „it was actually a cradle of arts and crafts and science. They didn't do much else. Economy, politics, military were mostly up to the Commonwealth. I guess this was one of the reasons why Magog and Nietzscheans found the place so easy to conquer." He briefly shut his eyes. „Anyway, they had this ancient weaving tradition in Eurasia, their largest continent," he continued. „They called it Persian, but it really was practiced all over the place. There was an amazing variety of shapes and colours and mo..." his voice trailed off and lost itself midword.

„Beka," he finally asked after a few more moments spent in silence, „why are you here? Surely you didn't override the privacy mode to discuss my taste in decorating..."

„I think we need to talk."

Dylan just glared at her. He hadn't left his corner, hadn't offered her a drink, hadn't asked her to sit down. She saw him close his eyes again and frowning in a pained expression, that sat his jaw square, cutting deep lines into his normally rather handsome face.

„Look, Beka," he said lamely, „if it's still about Harper, I don't know what more to say to him – or you, for that matter. But I will think of something, I promise, just... Just not now!"

„It's not about Harper, it's about you!"

„Me?"

„Yes, you. And me. And all the others."

„Oh, good. You had me scared there for a second, thinking it was something serious," he attempted to joke. She didn't smile, so he shrugged in the manner of a man who knows he's losing the fight, but cares no longer. „Very well, go ahead. Talk away. Where do you want us to start?"

„By going next door and you offering me a seat?"

„Of course, I'm sorry. Lead the way."

Beka turned around and headed for the sitting room, a little enraged by Dylan's still rather abrupt manners. She never made it to the door, though. The sudden sound of breaking glass made her spin around. Dylan was on his knees, leaning one hand against the wall in a late attempt to steady himself, panting, his face ashen and covered with a thin layer of sweat. He had obviously been stumbling over a small glass table next to the wall, falling on top of it, his weight shattering it into thousand tiny pieces. There was a small puddle of blood slowly growing larger under him, so she figured that he must have cut his knees, legs and feet with the splinters.

„Trance," Beka bellowed, as she activated her comm-link and ran to him. „Captain's quarters, and make it fast!" She reached him just in time to prevent him from falling flat on his face.

„Come on, big guy, hang in there! Dylan! Dylan, what's wrong?"

„I don't know," he stammered. „I'm... headache... nausea... Don't worry... I'll be fine..." he slurred, his eyes almost shut. „I'm just tired, Beka, so tired..." His head sank down on her shoulder, his eyes glazed and closing fast, yet not fast enough for her to miss a tiny hint of fear in them. Struggling to keep him upright, Beka pleaded with him to hold on.

They couldn't have spent more than a couple of minutes like this, until Trance rushed through the door with Rommie hard on her heels. They shoved the by now almost frantic captain of the _Maru_ out of the way and helped the still conscious Dylan to his feet, marching him over to the bed and forcing him to lay down.

„What's wrong with him, Trance? What's the matter?"

„Beka, calm down," the golden alien said, as she quickly ran some tests on the quite man. „There is nothing wrong with him, these are just some aftereffects of the radiation." She finished her scans and pressed a spray against her patient's neck. „It was to be expected. He simply didn't allow his body the time it needed for a complete recovery." Trance shot a worried glance over to Beka, who stood there watching her like a hawk. She furtively nodded to Rommie, who walked over to her XO and put an arm across her shoulders.

„Beka, please," the android calmly addressed her, gently rubbing the pilot's upperarm in an attempt to soothe her. „You're overreacting. Everything will be just fine. It's not as if this is the first time something like that happens. Dylan's going to be all right."

„I thought he was going to die, Rommie. I thought he was going to die without knowing that we care..."

„Beka, you're not making sense. Of course he knows we care. Come on now, calm down, will you?" the avatar whispered gently in her ear.

Her eyes still locked on Dylan's face, Beka sighed in relief as she watched him slowly open his eyes. She slightly turned her head towards Rommie, yet still refused to let the man on the bed out of her sight.

„Thank you, Rommie, I'm fine," she told her.

A wince coming from the bed prevented her from continuing. She quickly focused her attention back on Dylan, where Trance had begun to extract the splinters embedded all over the place in his knees and below. Smiling about herself, Beka slowly approached Dylan from the other side of his bed and carefully sat down next to him. His eyes turned to her, still showing a small amount of anxiety.

„Hey, sport," she softly called to him, gently removing a thin grey strand mingled with brown hair from his brow.

„Hey," he answered with a somewhat shaken smile, immediately returning to frowning as another splinter was being pulled out of his wade. „Aww," he protested in an indignant tone, that triggered a small laugh out of Beka.

„Come on, tough guy, stop whimpering and let the lady do her job," she rushed him with a smile on her face. „You've been in tougher spots than this."

„Oh yeah? How would you know?" he complained in a fake reproach. „I hate cuts and shots and... Aow!"

„Don't be such a baby, Dylan!"

„Easy for you to say, Miss ‚Dylan, I'd rather sneeze myself to death than drink some tea'," he pressed out through clenched teeth.

„Leave it, both of you," Trance cut in with furrowed brows. „Now, Dylan, I've cleaned and bandaged the cuts on your legs. They're superficial and will heal in no time. As to your passing out on Beka..."

„I did not pass out on Beka," he protested and tried to get up on his elbows.

„As to your passing out on Beka," Trance went on without taking his input into account, while Beka was pushing him back on his pillows, „it would not have happened, had you taken my advice to rest more seriously. You are relieved of command for the next 96 hours, after which you will report to med deck for a scan in order to be cleared for light duty. Did I make myself understood?" she asked as she rose to her feet.

„Aye."

„Good. I'm leaving the medication with you. Rommie, please see to it that he drinks plenty of liquids over the next days. As to the food, you're on a light diet, I'll have someone bring it over to you regularly."

„I can do it," Beka volunteered, much to everyone's surprise, including her own. „I'll see to it that he takes his medicine, drinks, sleeps and eats like a good boy," she broadly grinned, while Dylan rolled his eyes in despair.

„Thank you very much indeed, everybody," he snarled. „Trance, I perfectly understand your prescriptions. I'm sorry that I seemed somewhat... unreliable in this respect over the last days before this..." he waved his hands towards the glass shards Rommie collected in a heap, „this mess happened, but I can take it from here. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself."

Trance Gemini's big brown eyes fixed him with warmth, but she shook her head in a saddened, regretful manner, indicating that there was no way out of the strict control she had imposed on him.

„Oh yes, you're a big boy, who can take care of himself. And lately you've been doing such a fine job with it, too. I'm sorry, Dylan. When you first came back, I asked you to stay put; you refused, insisting to go after Harper and Rhade. On your second return, I ordered you to rest; you promised and went off to repairs. After you're retching in the officers' mess yesterday, I asked you..."

„You retched in the mess?" Beka asked with a disgusted grimace. „Yuck!"

„It was just this awful food," Dylan lamely replied.

„Good grief, Dylan," Rommie fell in, sounding rather offended. „I never reckoned you were a gourmet, why didn't you say? I would have asked Harper to make improving my cooking bots' skills a higher priority."

„Why, Rommie..." Dylan began to excuse himself, but stopped when he saw the grins beginning to spread across the faces of the three ladies surrounding his bed. „Oh, okay, I get it. Having fun with a sick man, aren't you?"

Trance leaned over and patted him lightly on the cheek.

„'Sick man' being the operative words here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a recovered Nietzschean in sick bay to be cleared for duty. Rommie, please monitor Dylan all the time and keep me posted. Beka, just one more word with you, please."

Tbc


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

For a moment, she just stood in his living room, a pensive, inward look in her eyes. But, whatever it was,she then seemed to shrug it off like a bad memory. She shook her head and moved forward towards his bedroom. It was a self-confident, casual, easy-going, very ‚Valentine' Beka who stepped through the door.

Dylan eyed his XO suspiciously, as she approached his bedcarrying something like a middle-sized bowl, while precariously balancing a tray with a water bottle and a glass in her other hand.

„What's this for?" he asked her, indicating the bowl.

„Well," she began cautiously, „Trance told me that your medication involves pretty heavy stuff, directed solely against the radiation effects. She doesn't want to add anything more to it than absolutely necessary, so there won't be much of the ‚good things' to neutralize your other symptoms."

„Meaning?"

„Meaning that you will get your pills against the headaches, your sore joints and muscles, the nauseaand so on only before you go to sleep, just to let you rest more peacefully."

„And?"

„And there might be some ‚colateral damage'."

„Like what?"

„Like the nausea returning in full force." She looked a little troubled as she saw him struggling to grasp the full meaning of her words, understanding finally sinking in on his tired face.

„You're not thinking about sticking around my place while I retch, do you?" he asked, a horrified expression in his eyes as he saw her nodd affirmatively. Dylan firmly shook his head in refusal. „No, you don't. And I won't."

„I do. And you will."

„You wish!"

„No, Dylan, I do not wish. Nevertheless, it's what's going to happen. So you better come to terms with it."

„I can make it to the bathroom."

„Probably. This here," she waved her hand towards the bowl, „is just in case..."

The blond captain held his glare, refusing to look away as Dylan first tried to stare her down and then... just... blushed?

Beka Valentine was surprised, so surprised in fact that she felt her feet nearly giving way under her. She quickly sat down on the bed next to an utterly embarrassed Dylan, who had turned his face away from her. That was incredible. Incredibly funny, too. Beka could hardly prevent a small giggle from escaping her lips.

„Having fun?"

„Well, try see this from where I'm standing. Sitting here with Captain Terrific, rebuilder of the CW, designated hero of three galaxies, the space reincarnation of Robin of Sherwood and acting Don Juan of the Known Worlds, who just turned pink..." she peered at his face inquisitively, „scratch that, still **is** pink at the thought of having someone hold his hand while sick." She nodded with a big grin. „Oh yeah, I'm having fun. It **is** funny!"

Silence fell.

„Robin of Sherwood?"

„Ask Harper. It's an Earth thing."

„I know Robin of Sherwood." More silence settled in, before Dylan spoke up again.

„Don Juan?"

„Ask Harper. It's an..."

„... Earth thing, I know. Don't need to. I also know of Don Juan." He stared at her, so she just stared back.

„Don Juan?"

„Mhm," Beka nodded with utmost conviction.

„That bad, huh?"

„Worse."

„I didn't realise... I mean... I mostly don't even follow it through."

„You don't?" She sounded genuinely surprised.

„Nope."

„So why do you go through all this trouble?"

He merely shrugged his shoulders.

„You know," Beka pensively stated, „I sometimes forget how much you and Harper actually have in common..." A furtive look at his face almost made her giggle again. _By the Divine... what now_?

„What are you doing?"

„What does it look like, Beka?"

„Ahem... pouting?"

„I'm not pouting!"

„I didn't say you are," she replied calmy. „I merely observed that this is, what it looks like." Relieved, she noticed the shadow of a smile starting to spread on his lips. Standing up, she picked up a blanket and spreaded it on him.

„Come on, Beka, you really don't have to do this," he protested as she bent down to firmly tuck him in.

„Dylan, has it ever occured to you that I might actually really, really **want** to do this?" She watched him as he swallowed hard.

„Why should you?"

„It's what people do, when they – care." Sitting down next to him again, she firmly took hold of both his hands, keeping them in a tight grip, as if afraid he might withdraw them otherwise. „Listen to me, Dylan." Beka gazed into his eyes, half expecting to see him pulling back like a scared off horse. „We've known each other for four years now. In all this time you have seen me through some pretty rough days, and there are more of these ahead of us, I'm sure." Beka paused a little, but not enough for Dylan to be able to stop her. Making her grasp on his hands even stronger, she went on in an intensive voice, her head bent close to his.

„It was you, who promised to see me through the flash, you supporting me with Rafe and Sid, you again to stand by me after Bobby – and other... less than fortunate adventures."

„You mean stupid picks," he couldn't refrain himself from throwing in.

„Hey, this is my speech. I get to choose the adjectives. Anyway: you came up with a scheme to save Abel, you fought Tyr and the Abyss over me, not following Rhade's advice to just ‚throw me out the next airlock'. Oh yes," she confirmed, seeing his eyes widen with surprise, „I know of it, you two were arguing your heads off right over my bed, I heard each and every word of it."

„Gee, Beka, I didn't realise. I'm sorry..."

„Don't be. You saved me," the _Maru_'s captain replied very matter-of-factly, her eyes not leaving his for so much as a single second. „Yet in all this time, Dylan, while you proved yourself as my friend in so many ways, you never came clear to show me – show any of us, who **you** really are."

A weary, intrigued grin appeared on his face.

„Never formally introduced myself, now, have I?" His hand went up to his forehead in mockingly mimicking a military salute. „Captain Dylan Hunt of the _Andromeda Ascendant_ reporting for duty, Ma'am."

„Not funny, soldier! I already know, **what** you are, Dylan, it's **who** you are that I want, that I need to find out. You know my past, Harper's background, Rev's dreams, you even had a glimpse or two regarding Trance's ‚mysterious ways'; and you perfectly understood both Tyr's and Rhade's minds right from the start. Now you might think this happened because you're such a clever, sensitive guy, but guess what, Dr Freud? I think it mostly happened, because sometime down the road, **we** decided to let you in. You, on the other hand, only let us know about you, what you deem fit."

„This is a warship, Beka. Warship captains inform their crew on a ‚need to know'-basis. This is what captains do. And I'm the captain here, period."

„YOU are Dylan Hunt. And WE are more than just your crew. WE are all you have left to live for."

Dylan loudly blew out his breath. „I've got to admit it Beka, if this is supposed to be a pep talk, you're doing one hell of a job here."

Beka ignored his angry remark.

„You were betrayed by your closest friends, lost your home, your time, your dreams. That must have done something to you, but as you never showed me much of the way you were, I cannot tell how you've turned out to be the way you're now. Your family, your friends, your loves, how did they affect you?" She felt the hand she no longer held so tight to anymore slightly tremble in her grasp.

„Well," Dylan remarked in a hoarse voice, „you can always guess, can't you?"

„Not unless I know where you really come from."

„A black hole?" he offered in a poor attempt to joke.

„Your home? Your parents? Your pals?"

„You mean, the ones I failed, left to die, couldn't protect? Is this really the box you want me to open?" The sudden bitterness in Dylan's voice almost let Beka shiver.

„No one blames you, you know," she tried to comfort him.

„I blame myself, Beka. And I can't help it, although I certainly wish I could," Dylan confessed to her with a miserable, barely audible sob.

„Maybe we could. Why don't you let us try?"

„I don't know if I can," was Dylan's honest answer. „I lived through a whole bunch of crap, and I survived it – quite honourably, I think." His eyes, that had been roaming through the room, returned to her face, while he withdrew his other hand and pushed himself up on his elbows. „I'm a soldier, Beka, and while scars on a soldier might come with the territory, they seldom speak of a territory well-covered. So: you want me to show my battlescars to others to prove – what exactly? The number of times I failed to do my job right? I really don't know about that."

„Good Gracious, Dylan, we are all scarred. But in the end, all that matters is that it is us wearing those scars, not the other way around." Her eyes locked onto his, Beka searched for a hint that proved that she had finally managed to strike a nerve with him. His eyes were clouded, blurred, yet he held his own, refusing to let the drops fall. And then he blinked, just once, and a single tear rolled down his cheek to a corner of his mouth. As his tongue came out to catch it, Beka couldn't help but laugh about this boyish gesture.

„It tickled," he shrugged, embarrassed and suddently looking almost ridiculously young. And as she once more got hold of his hand, he simply settled for just returning her open, direct expression. They remained looking into each other's eyes for quite some time, and finally he nodded - a small, almost imperceptible nod, but filled with strength by the calmness that suddently descended into his eyes.For the first time the man in front of her seemed at peace, not haunted, not angry, not distressed, not even evasive. Just at peace.

By now, Beka could see that Dylan was even more spent, so she lightly rose to her feet. Bending down to him, she smiled into his eyes.

„Someone once told me, Dylan Hunt, that there is darkness in every one of us, and that on **this** ship, we hold the line against the night."

His eyelids half closed and heavy with exhaustion, he recognized her words and smiled back at her. Unable to uphold himself much longer, he sank back on his pillows, resigning himself to merely close his hand around her wrist.

„Don't leave, Beka, please don't leave!"

„You know I won't!"

A faint smile on his lips, his eyes already shut, his voice but a whisper, Beka more guessed than actually heard his last words before he fell asleep.

„I just didn't want to impose myself on you... But I always noticed... Your warmth, your friendship... your loyalty... I couldn't do without..." His breath slowed down to a regular, calm pace as sleep took over.

Brushing a hand one last time through his hair, Beka Valentine smiled again.

„Why, Captain Hunt, who would have thought you cared?"

The end

Thanks for reviewing, everyone.


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